Thread winding mechanism



Jan. 30, 1940. E. LOYETT 2,188,814

THREAD WINDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1936 4 Shets-Sheet 1 Enventor Zows 1? 1101/1577 (Ittorneg Jan. 30, 1940. E. LOVETT I THREAD WINDING MECHANISM Filed 901:. 26, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventor [011/5 5 Lou Err (Ittorneg Jan. 30, 1940. L. E. 'LOVETT THREAD WINDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 E um Ill Jan. 30, 1940. L ETT 2,188,814

THREAD WINDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1936 4 Sheets-Shed. 4

Bnventor Z 041/5 5 L OVEN Bu 2 2 g Gttorn eg Patented Jan. 30, 1940 IUNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

THREAD WINDING MECHANISM Louis E. Lovett, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,512 4 Claims. (01. 242-18) quence of which fact a considerable length of I time is required to complete the various processing operations. Among other things, the present invention provides means for forming a thread package lending itself, by virtue of its high degree of porosity, to ready penetration by processing fluids. v

For illustrative purposes, the invention will be described in connection with the viscose process of manufacturing artificial silk thread, although it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to other processes such as the cuprammonium, cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate processes. Its advantages are particularly important in the viscose process, in which viscose .is extruded through a spinneret into an acid coagulating bath in which it coagulates as and from which it is withdrawn in the form of regenerated cellulose thread. After the collecting spool has been filled, it is removed to a wash trough wherein washing liquid is forced through it in order to remove the acid which is present in the thread. Whereas as much as five hours have been required heretofore to remove the acid, by the present invention this time may be reduced to less than two hours.

One form of apparatus resulting in the winding of the thread upon the collecting spool with the desired degree of porosity will be described in connection with the apparatus illustrated in ure 6 is a plan of a portion of the machine show-- the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a side elevation of one section of a spinning machine to which the invention is applied. Figure 2 is a corresponding plan. Figure 3 is aview from line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is asection on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, parts being broken away. .Figure 5 is a detail, partly in section, of a portion of the machine on an enlarged scale. Figing the relation of parts at the completion of the thread-collecting operation. Figure 7 is a side elevationof a portion of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a section on the 8- -8 of Figure 3. Figure 9 is o. diagrammatic representation illustrating genpassed through a thread guide eye 25 at the lower erally the arrangement of parts in the apparatus of the invention.

The spools l0, upon which are collected threads II from a corresponding number of spinnerets (not shown) ,are mounted upon opposite ends of 5 transverse shafts l2. Each shaft I2 is mounted in a gear box l3 and is rotated by means of gears I 4, IS, the latter of which is carried upon a line shaft l6 extending longitudinally of the machine. Shaft 16, supported upon frame bearings 11 at opposite ends of each section of the ,machine, is rotated by power from motor i8 transmitted through chain IS, a variable transmission which includes pulleys 20, 2|, and chain 22. Pulley 20 is carried upon a shaft 23 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the frame of the machine.

To carry the thread back and forth across the face of each of the collecting spools l0, it is end of an arm 26 depending from rocker shaft 21. Rocker shaft 21, carried by bearings 24, is actuated by means of a cam contained within cam box 28 rotated through gears 29 and 30 by line shaft l6. Through the operation of the cam, a lug 3| upon the exterior of the cam box 28 is caused to reciprocate back and forth,

as shown by full and dotted lines in Figure 2.

Pivotally connected to this-lug 3| is a lever 32 fulcrumed at pin 33. At its outer end, lever 32 is pivoted by pin on a cross bar 34 reciprocating through guide plate 40. Pin 33 and pin 35 engage within longitudinal slots of lever 32. Centrally of the cross bar 34 is fastened a block 36 to which are pivotally connected links 31 the 35 outer ends of which are forked. Within the forked end of link 31 is received arm 38 fastened to rocker shaft 21 by means of which rocker shaft 21 is actuated. Link 31 passes through a slot 39 of guide plate 40 to permit up and down move 40 ment of link 31 due to the oscillatory movement of arm 38. The arm 38 is of less thickness than the distance between the prongs of the forked end of lever 31 in order to permit a limited amount of transverse movement of the arm 38.

The fulcrum pin '33 for lever 32 is carried by a bracket 42 secured to an endwise movable bar 43. Bar 43 is squared and is carried within squared bearings 44 which permit the bar to have endwise but not rotary movement. At one end of bar 43 are formed screw threads 45 which are used in causing an axial movement of the bar 43 for the purpose of shifting the fulcrum pin 33 during the operation of the machine. Carried upon the screw threads 45 is a nut 46 having a. sprocket 41 upon its exterior which nut is positioned between bracket arms 48 of the frame in such manner as to prevent its endwise movement, whereby upon rotation of the nut 46 the bar 43 is caused to move' endwise. Adjustable stop 86 determines the initial position of bar 43.

Nut 46 is rotated in timed relation to the spools through a driving connection receiving its power from the motor l8. This power takeofl includes a gear 50 upon shaft 23 which gear 50 drives a gear 5|. Gear 5| is carried upon a shaft 52 which is journalled in cross pieces 53 of gear supports 54. A worm 55 secured to shaft 52 drives gear 51 upon shaft 56. To the latter shaft is fixed gear 58, which drives gear 59. To gear 59 is secured an eccentric pin 60 upon which is pivoted a link 6| pivoted at its upper end to a pawl arm 62. Oscillation of pawl arm 62 drives ratchet wheel 63, carried upon a shaft 64, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3. Movement of shaft 64 in the opposite direction is prevented by detent means 65. Gear 66 secured to shaft 64 drives sprocket 61 through a gear train generally indicated by 68. Sprocket 61, through chain 69, drives the sprocket 41 upon nut 46.

Through operation of the structural arrangement above described, a package of thread will be collected upon the spools and the ends of the packages will be conically shaped as shown in Figure 6. These conical ends are formed by progressive movement of fulcrum pin 33 under the influence of shaft 43. As the machine operates, and the fulcrum pin is urged away from driving lug 3|, the lever arm determined by the distance between pins 33 and 35 is shortened with the result that cross bar 34, links 31, arm 38 and consequently thread guide eye 25 have a constantly decreasing extent of movement. Through the speed reducing action of pawl 62, ratchet wheel 63, and its associated driving connections, the extremities of travel of thread guide eye 25 are brought slightly closer together as each new layer of thread is deposited on the spool.

It isalso common practice to oscillate the traversearm 26 in such timed relation to the rotation of spools In that successive turns of thread will tend to be superimposed. This is accomplished if the spool, for each complete oscillation of the traverse arm, rotates a whole number of turns and a fractional portion of a turn which fraction has an odd number as its denominator. For example, the spool may rotate 8% turns for each complete swing of the traverse arm, in which case, starting with the 203rd turn;

the thread being laid down will' be laid directly upon a thread earlier laid down, and open diamonds -will be formed by the thread. However. with such conventional arrangements, each new turn of thread will not be exactly radially outwardly from an inner turn since the thread pass-' ing from the thread guide eye to the package will assume a different angular relation as the package increases in thickness. Since the point of contact, of the thread with the package will tend to shift around the spool, the new layers, of thread will lie over the openings within the diamonds earlier formed and thus obstruct the free passage of processing fluids.

To overcome these disadvantages and form diamonds the openings of which are unobstructed throughout the thickness of the package, the invention provides means for causing a; recessional movement of the thread guide eye as the package increases in thickness. To achieve best results, it is desirable that the thread guide eye 25 be positioned initially directly below the outside of the collecting-spool, so that the thread passes vertically to the spool as shown in Figure 1. The recessional movement of the thread guide eye carries thethread guide eye laterally away from the spool in a direction perpendicular to the length of thread between the thread uide eye and the spool. By moving the thread guide eye away from the spool at the rate at which the package increasesin thickness, the thread will always pass in a vertical direction to the package and will contact with it in the same manner.

This recessional movement is effected by a screw shaft 10 in axial alignment with rocker shaft 21 connected'to the latter by a coupling member 1| which permits their relative rotation. Screw shaft 16 is squared at 12 along a portion of its length and this portion passes through frame upright 13 which prevents turning movement of the screw shaft. upon the screw shaft between upright frame members 14 is a nutj15 having upon its exterior -2 a sprocket 16. A chain 11 connects this sprocket with a sprocket 18 upon shaft 64. In this man- Positioned ner nut 15 is rotated at the desired slow speed, utilizing pawl 62 and ratchet.63 for this purpose. Ahand wheel19 is keyed to sprocket 16 to make possible manual operation of the screw.

shaft.

In order to effect a corresponding recessional movement of a similar rocker shaft on the opposite side of the machine, chain 11 extends transversely of the machine to and around av second sprocket 16.

During operation of the machine, as the pack- I age of thread increases in thickness, the rocker shaft will be caused to move axially as it is retated. Such axial movement while the rocker shaft is being rotated is permitted by sliding.

movement of arm 38 along pin 4|. As shown in Figure 6, at the completion of the winding operation, arm 38 is at the opposite end of pin 4| from its position in Figure 2. To restore the parts to their initial position, pawls 62 and 65 are lifted from ratchet wheel 63 and the hand wheel 19 rotated backward. -Thereby bar 43,.

as well as rocker shaft 21, is returned in readiness for the next winding operation.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the apparatus hereinabove described without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention; for example, a carrier bar of a different type may, if desired, be employed in lieu of'the rocker shaft illustrated in the drawings. As already stated, although the apparatus hereinabove disclosed has been described as appliedto the manufacture of viscose artificial.

silk thread, its usefulness is notlimited thereto. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims,

whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An oscillating thread guide mechanism comprisinga rocker shaft; bearings for said rocker shaft permitting both rotational and axial movement of said shaft; an arm rigidly secured to said rocker shaft which arm is provided with a thread guide eye; means for actuating said rocker shaft to oscillate said arm; and means operated in timed relation to. said first-mentioned means for moving said rocker shaft through said bearinks in an axial direction.

2. Thread winding mechanism comprising a rotatable collecting spool; an arm provided with a thread guide eye; a carrier bar to which said arm is secured; supporting means for said carrier bar permitting it to have two independent motions; means actuating said carrier bar to cause it to move said thread guide eye back and forth across said collecting spool during one of its two independent motions; and means actuating said carrier bar to cause it to move said thread guide eye progressively away from said collecting spool during the other of its two independent motions, the thread guide eye being moved away from said collecting spool at the rate at which the thread package being formed on said collecting spool increases in thickness.

3. Thread winding mechanism comprising a rotatable collecting spool; a carrier bar extending transversely of the axis of said collecting spool; an arm rigidly secured to said carrier bar which arm is provided with a thread guide eye, said thread guide eye being so disposed that the length of thread between the thread guide eye and the collecting spool extends at right angles to said carrier bar; means for actuating said carrier bar to cause it to move said thread guide eye back and forth across said collecting spool; and means for progressively moving said carrier bar longitudinally to thereby withdraw said thread guide eye from said collecting spool at the rate at which the thread package being formed on said collecting spool increases in thickness.

4. Thread winding mechanism comprising a plurality of collecting spools the axes of which are parallel; a carrier bar extending transversely of the axes of said collecting spools; a plurality of thread guide eyes supported on said carrier bar, each thread guide eye being so disposed that the length of thread between the thread guide eye and the collecting spool with which it is associated extends at right angles to said carrier bar; means for actuating said carrier bar in such manner as to move said thread guide eyes simultaneously across said collecting spools; and means for progressively moving said carrier bar longitudinally to withdraw said thread guide eyes from said collecting spools at the rate at which the thread package being formed on said 001- lecting spools increases in thickness.

LOUIS E. LOVETT. 

